Well-flowing apparatus



1931- J. E. B. DANIEL WELL FLOWING APPARATUS Filed May 15, 1929 IN Vin/70R $5555 E. B. Dan 151.. BY 49 ATTom/Ex Patented 24," 1931 ,UNITED; 1 STATES PATENT OFFICE JESSE E. B. DANIEL, OF LOS ANQELES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR OF- ONE-FOURTH T0 WARD BLACKBURN, 0] LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

wELL-rLowme arrnnarus 'Application filed Kay 13, 1929. SeriaI No. 362,522.

Thiginvention relates to a means for flow- 15 well hasbeen lowered to a point where the well can .be flowed from the bottom of the tubing. f t

In operating deep oil wells it is at times very diflicult to start the flow of oil upwardly through theflow pipe because of the high fluid level in the casing and also, at times because of an excessively high rock pressure. I overcome this difliculty by withdrawing successive upper strata of oil from the casing where ordinary gas pressures will cause the well to flow.

An object of my invention is to rovide' a well flowing apparatus which is a a ted to lie-positioned at difierent levels in t e flow tubing and .which will automatically direct theflow through theuppermost "apparatus i "and continue to flow through said uppermost apparatus until the-fluid evel drops below said ap aratus.

- apparatus of the character stated,theintake ports of which may be either automatically or manually opened and closed.

. Still another object is to provide an appa-' rat-us of the character stated which is simple in construction, efl'ective in operation, .andinex ensive to manufacture.

- her objects, advantages, and features of invention may appear from the accompanying drawing, the subjoined detailed description, and the appended claims;

In the drawing I Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of the tubing with my apparatus shown thereon and with the casing shown in section.

Fi re 2 is an enlarged lon 'tudinal' sectiona view ofone of my well dbwing apparatuses."

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the numeral 1 indicates the usual casing which is provided in the well *and2 illustrates the usual flowtubing. It is easy to'ascertain the level at which the fluid stands in the was ing'and my flowing apparatuses 3 are spaced and is pressed thereon against the coupllng until the fluid level is lowered "to a pointv Anot er object is to provide a well flowing throughout the fluid area so that the fluid level may be reduced by successive stages un til the well can be flowed-with the usual gas pressure. 7

My apparatus comprises a body 4 on the 5 upper end ofwhich a threaded coupling 5 is provided into which the tubing screws. A collar 6 screws onto the lower end of the body 4 and is also threaded to receive the tubing. A cylinder 7 surrounds the body 1 5. The cylinder 7 is bored out to provide an annular chamber 8 between the body 4 and the cylinder.

A reciprocating sleeve 9.. is provided with an upper enlarged flange 10 which fits accurately in the chamber 8. The lower ortion of the sleeve 9 ismduced, as shown in igure 2, and, therefore a shoulder 11 is provided below the'flange, the purpose of which will be further described. A plurality of ducts 12 extend through the body 4 into the chamber 8 adjacent the upper end of saidchamber. A plurality of intake ports 13 extend through the body 4 below the lower edge of the cylinder 7 and the sleeve 9 is provided with portslt which are adapted to aline with the ports when the sleeve is in its lowermost position, as shown in Figure 2. When the .sleeve 9 moves upwardly the ports 13 will be closed and no fluid can enter therethrough. A screen ring 15 extends around" the ducts 12 to prevent any sand or dbris from passing into the chamber 8. a 1

The operation of my apparatus is as fol- 8 lows: Gravity will normally move the sleeve 1 'upon the topof the fluid and thisfluid passes through the ports 13 and upwardly in the tubing until the fluid level passes below the ports.

During this operation of lowering the fluid level it will be evident that the pressure in .the casing must equal the static head of the fluid in the tubing plus the friction of the fluid in the tubing. That is, statichead plus friction is equal to the gas pressure in the casing.

Now the moment the fluid passes below the ports 13, we still have thesame condition as stated above. The gas continues to push the liquid out of the top of the tubing, thus reducing the foot head load. That is, lhe liquid weighs for example, .4 pound per square inch, per foot height, and each foot of liquid that is removed. reduces the head pressure by that amount per square inch and this liquid is replaced by gas of negligible weight.

Since the ports v13 are relatively small in area compared with the area of the casing and tubing, the gascannotexpand fast enough to maintain the pressure, that is, there cannot be an equalization of pressure in the casing and tubing! Consequently, because of the greater pressure in the caslng we have an' upward force exerted on the shoulder Hand on the bottom of the sleeve 9 and the sleeve will be forced upwardly and the ports 13 will be closed. a

If for some reason this action above stated does not occur, the sleeve 9 can be manually closed in the following manner The usual valve atthe top of the tubing is closed. Gas pressure is continually forced into the casing and since the tubing is closed, we will arrive at an equal pressure in both the casing and the tubing. The valve on the top of the tubing is-now quickly opened and this sudden release of pressure in the tubing cannot be instantly equalized in the apparatus for the reason that the ports 13 are relativelys mall in area and because of the higher pressure in the casing the sleeve 9 will be closed, When the sleeve has been moved upwardly and the ports 13 are closed, the next lower apparatus comes into use and the well-is flowed therethrough until the same action occurs. 7 r

-Having described my invention, ll claim: 1. In an oil well including casing, flow tubing in said casing, a plurality of superposed well flowing apparatuses in said tubing, said apparatuses comprising 'a body,

threaded sections at both ends of said/body to which said tubing is secured, a reciprocating sleeve slidably mounted on said body, said body having an annular chamber into which said sleeve extends, said body having a plurality of intake ports therein said sleeve hav ing ports therethrough adapted to aling with said first named ports'when the sleeve is in lowermost position, said sleeve being adapted and arranged tobe moved upwardly when there is an unbalanced pressure in thecasing and the tubing.

- 2. In an oil well including a casing, flow tubing in said casing, a plurality of superposed '-well flowing apparatuses in said tubing, said apparatuses comprising a body,

threaded sections at both ends of said body to which said tubing is secured, a reciprocating sleeve slidably mounted on said body, said body having an annular chamber into which said sleeve extends, said body having a plurality of intake ports therein, said sleeve having ports the'rethrough adapted to aline i with said first named ports when the sleeve 1s 1n lowermost position, said sleeve being adapted and arranged to be moved upwardly when there is anunbalanced pressure in the casing and the tubing, and said-body having a plurality of'ducts therein extending into said chamber adjacent the upper end of said chamber.

3. In an oil well including a casing, flow tubing in said casing, a plurality'of superposed well flowing apparatuses in said tubing, said apparatuses comprising a body,

threaded sections at both ends of said body to/which said tubing is secured, a reciprocating sleeve slidably mounted on said body, said body having anannular chamber into which said sleeve extends, said body having a plurality of intake ports therein, saidsleeve having ports therethrough adapted to aline with said first named ports when the sleeve is in lowermost position, said sleeve being adapted and arranged to be moved upwardly when there is an unbalanced pressure in the casing and the tubing; and said body having a plurality of ducts therein extending into said chamber adjacent the upper end of said chamber, and a screen extendingover said ducts.

4(In an oil well including a' casing, and flow tubing therein of a well flowing apparatus, comprising a body, threaded couplings at both ends of said body to which v the tubing is screwed, a cylinder pressed onto said body, said cylinder and body ,forming an annular chamber therebetween, asleeve slidably mounted on the body and in said annular chamber, a flange at the upper end of said sleeve adapted'to closel Tit-in said chamber, a pluralityof intake ports in said "body below said chamber, said sleeve having a plurality of .ports therethrough adapted to register with said first named ports when the sleeve is in the lowered position, saidsleeve being adapted to move upwardly and close said parts when there is an unbalanced.

1 pressure between the outside and the inside llO i l ow said chamber, said sleeve having a plurality of ports therethrough adapted to register with said first named ports when the sleeve is in the lowered position, \said s eve 7 being adapted to move upwardly and close a said o'rts when there is an unbalanced pressure etween the outside and the inside of the tubing, and a plurality of ducts extending through said body into said chamber adjacent the upper end of the chamber.

In testimony whereof, I afiix my signature.

JESSE E. B. DANIEL. 

